The Holidays

As always we were blessed with an incredible holiday season! We made memories to last a lifetime with family and friends and experienced all of the joys of the season. We enjoyed playing with our new kitty, Haley, and watching Julio recover from the loss of Princeton and become like a kitten again himself! Grammie, Lucca, and I enjoyed two ballet performances-Alice in Wonderland at Laxson Auditorium and The Nutcracker at Paradise Performing Arts Center. All of these ballets have made Lucca decide she wants to do ballet again!

The last week of school was Lucca's Christmas program. It was an incredible performance and we were all very proud of her and of her music teacher, Mr. Mackenzie.
The Sunday before Christmas the girls and I drove to Nevada City for the Victorian Christmas. We met Grandpa Bruce and Grandma Lissa there. It was a very warm day (as was the entire month of December, sigh) yet it was still festive. We roamed the streets and the shops then enjoyed a wonderful fondue meal at Friar Tucks. Yum! Afterward, Lucca got to have a sleepover at Grandpa Bruce and Grandma Lissa's house.


Our festivities began on December 23rd, with our annual brunch/gift bag exchange with Grammie. We went to Mom's and had a yummy breakfast with Mimosa's (the girls just had OJ, of course!). On Christmas Eve we went over to Lito and Lita's house and spent Christmas with Oma and Opa, Uncle Bob and Aunt Jan, Kaysen, Uncle Lance and Angela. We had brunch, opened presents then did our annual white elephant gift card exchange. Then we went up to Nana Pam and Grandpa's house (after a nap at home!) for Prime Rib dinner and Grandpa's birthday celebration. The girls decorated their cookies for Santa up there then we came home and put them out, sprinkled reindeer food on the lawn, wrote a letter to Santa and put out the Santa key. Then it was bedtime! We enjoyed tracking Santa on Norad all day long to see where he was. Lucca even called them in the morning and got to speak to a live representative who informed her that Santa was in China and he would be in the United States between 9-12 p.m.!











On Christmas morning we woke up early and the girls were thrilled to run out and see what Santa brought! It was a really fun year because Siena was totally into it! She is such a good present opener...her expressions delight us all ("Oh my gosh! It's so cute!") The girls got quite a bounty! Santa left them a new portable DVD player since Lucca's old one broke so later in the day they took it in their tent and watched Tom and Jerry and the Nutcracker. We had a yummy breakfast-Mickey Mouse pancakes for the girls and Eggs Benedict for us. We lounged around the house an organized until about 4:00 then we went up to Grammie and Papa's for Christmas dinner with Auntie Suzanne, Uncle Ryan, Auntie Heather, Uncle Ricki, Luciana, and Baby Sophia. Poor Papa was sick so he tried to stay away from the kids. We had an excellent turkey and ham dinner and opened more presents. Lucca was excited to get her new American Girl doll, Kanani and she spent most of the evening laying with her and reading her story.






The girls were grateful that Santa allowed Abby the Elf to stay one extra day. Lucca really wanted Abby to be able to watch us open presents and spend Christmas with us. That night when we got home it was time to say goodbye to Abby. It was a bittersweet ending to Christmas. Hopefully she will come visit throughout the year.
The next day we drove to Sacramento to spend Christmas with Grandpa Bruce, Grandma Lissa, and Grandmarty. We had Golden Cadillacs and munchies all day while opening presents. The we went on a nice walk at the American River before having a delicious salmon dinner. We spend the night and left the next morning. Sticking with tradition, we opened up our Christmas crackers after dinner and wore the crowns, laughed at the trinkets, and read the jokes!






A few days after Christmas the girls and I took an overnight trip to Windsor with Grammie. We had lots of wine to pick up at Sunce and Pellegrini so we decided to drive over and get it. WE used Papa's hotel points and stayed at the Holiday Inn in Windsor. The girls love to sleep in hotels, especially when there is microwave popcorn!

Siena's big present this year was her new bed!! It was a combination gift from Nana and Grandpa and us. Here she is in her crib for the last time and in her new bed!

Siena's present to me this year was to finally potty train herself! She decided on Christmas Eve that she was ready and she has been doing great! Only a few accidents! Yay! It has been kind of a sad transition stage, knowing that she is our last baby and she is growing up into a big girl so fast! We sold the high chair and changing table this week, got rid of the crib, and said goodbye to diapers. All of my links to babyhood are gone! I am so excited for her, though!

Here's to a happy, healthy, and memorable New Year!! Bring on 2012!!